GARDEN CALENDAR

Events

Reindeer Festival: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Nov. 15-16; also 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. daily through Dec. 24. Get photos with a tame reindeer, enjoy refreshments, live music, children’s craft projects and the Holiday Train. Swansons Nursery, 9701 15th Ave. N.W., Seattle. www.swansonsnursery.com.

Garden d’Lights: 5-10 p.m. nightly, Nov. 29-Jan. 3. Annual holiday display uses more than 500,000 lights throughout the gardens. Cost: Free; donations encouraged. Parking: $5. Bellevue Botanical Gardens, 12001 Main St., Bellevue. 425-451-3755 or www.bellevuebotanical.org.

Santa at Molbak’s: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays, Nov. 29-Dec. 21. Santa will visit the store each week through Dec. 21. Also: Various Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 19, carolers will perform at the store. Molbak’s, 13625 N.E. 175th St., Woodinville. 425-483-5000.

Gardens

Bellevue Botanical Gardens: Garden includes 36 acres of perennial borders, Japanese, Waterwise, ground cover and alpine rock gardens and trails through native woodland and wetland areas. Hours: Dawn-dusk daily. Visitors’ center hours: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Cost: Free. 12001 Main St., Bellevue. 425-451-3755 or www.bellevuebotanical.org.

WaterWise Demonstration Garden: Self-guided tours showcase plants and gardening methods that conserve water. Plant list available at garden or from Web site. Guided tours available for groups of 12 or more with advance registration. Hours: Dawn-dusk daily. Covington Water District, 18631 S.E. 300th Place, Covington. 253-631-0565, ext. 170, or www.covingtonwater.com.

Pacific Rim Bonsai Collection: Free guided tours at noon Sundays. Hours: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday-Wednesday. Admission: $2.50-$3.50. Rhododendron Species Garden, Weyerhaeuser Corporate Headquarters, 33663 Weyerhaeuser Way S., Federal Way. 253-661-9377 or www.rhodygarden.org.

Rhododendron Park: Five-acre park features more than 500 varieties of rhododendron and azalea plants. 6910 N.E. 170 St., Kenmore. 206-296-2973.

Lake Wilderness Arboretum: Events: 10 a.m. the third Saturday of the month, docent tours. Forty-acre arboretum features trails for walking, jogging and bicycling, and the Smith-Mossman Garden’s collection of western azaleas. 22520 S.E. 248th St., Maple Valley. 425-413-2572 or www.lakewildernessarboretum.org.

Classes

“Mason Bees”: 10 a.m. Nov. 15. Learn how to care for Mason bees and keep them pollinating year after year. Fall apple tasting follows at 11 a.m. 13701 N.E. 171st St., Woodinville. 206-442-2061 or www.21Acres.org.

“All You Want to Know About Bulb Forcing and Container Design”: 11 a.m. Nov. 15. Registration required. Smith and Hawken, 12200 Northup Way, Bellevue. 425-881-6775.

“Decorating for the Holidays”: 2-3 p.m. Nov. 15. Free demonstration by Molbak’s visual design team. Molbak’s, 13625 N.E. 175th St., Woodinville. 425-483-5000.

Squak Mountain Greenhouses and Nursery: 10:30 a.m. Saturdays, including: Nov. 15, “Holiday Herb Wreath”; Nov. 22, “Holiday Decorating.” Free seminars. Squak Mountain Greenhouses and Nursery, 7600 Renton-Issaquah Road S.E., Issaquah. 425-392-1025 or www.squakmtnursery.com.

Bow making demonstration: 11 a.m. Nov. 19. Free hands-on demonstration. Molbak’s, 13625 N.E. 175th St., Woodinville. 425-483-5000.

Wreath Making: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. daily, Nov. 28-Dec. 14. Purchase fresh evergreens and create your own wreath on Swansons’ machines. Swansons Nursery, 9701 15th Ave. N.W., Seattle. www.swansonsnursery.com.

Volunteers

Bellevue Botanical Gardens: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Dec. 14, volunteers can help dig, pot and take home a perennial from the NPA Perennial Border. Also: Through Jan. 18, volunteers needed to help with various aspects of the annual Garden d’Lights display. Helpers needed for: Nov. 29-Jan. 3, greeting; Jan. 4-18, break-down. Advance registration and background check required. 12001 Main St., Bellevue. 425-451-3755 or bbgsoffice@bellevuebotanical.org.

Lake Wilderness Arboretum Volunteer Days: 9 a.m.-noon Wednesdays-Thursdays and the first Saturday of the month. Volunteers welcome to come learn new gardening skills and meet friends while helping to maintain the arboretum’s collections. 22520 S.E. 248th St., Maple Valley. 425-413-2572 or www.LakeWildernessArboretum.org.

Garden Clubs

Auburn Garden Club: 1 p.m. the second Tuesday of the month. Cost: Donation of food for Auburn Food Bank. Auburn Senior Activity Center, 808 Ninth St. S.E. 253-874-5841 or 253-839-6023.

Eastside Fuchsia Society: 7 p.m. the third Tuesday of the month. Evergreen Court Retirement Center, 900 124th Ave. N.E., Bellevue. 425-885-2107.

Evergreen Chrysanthemum Association: 7 p.m. the second Thursday of the month. Seattle Police Athletic Association Office, 11030 E. Marginal Way S., Tukwila. 253-852-8796.

Greater Federal Way Orchid Society: 7 p.m. the third Thursday of the month, except July, August and December. Anyone interested in learning about growing orchids is welcome. Bring an orchid to show or come with a question. Annual dues: $10. Kloshe Illahee Lodge, 2500 S. 370th St., Federal Way. 253-946-2300.

Green Thumb Garden Club: 7 p.m. the first Friday of the month. St. John the Baptist Church, 25810 156th Ave. S.E., Covington. 253-630-7674.

Lake Meridian Garden Club: The first Thursday of each month. Call for details and location. 253-631-7107.

Looking for a Garden Club: Garden clubs in the East Lake Washington District welcome new members. For nearby clubs, call the membership chairman: 425-822-7275 and leave a message.

O’Brien Garden Club: 11 a.m. the third Friday of the month. No meetings June-August. Club is a member of the National Council of State Garden Clubs. Fairwood Library, 17009 140th Ave. S.E., Renton. 425-255-6236.

Puget Sound Bonsai Association: 7 p.m. Nov. 24. Includes tree demonstration and lecture by French bonsai artist Francois Jeker. University of Washington Center for Urban Horticulture, 3501 N.E. 41st St., Seattle. www.psba.us.

Puyallup Rose Society: 7 p.m. the first Thursday of the month. Learn to prune, plant and grow roses. Dues: $10 per year. Washington State University extension, Allmendinger Hall, 7612 Pioneer Way E., Puyallup. puyalluprose@comcast.net.

Sunset View Garden Club: 10 a.m. the third Thursday of the month. Group is a member of the Washington State Garden Clubs. Golden Pines Retirement Home, 2901 10th Ave. N.E., Renton. 425-255-0859 or 425-255-8195.

Terra Tillers Garden Club: 7 p.m. the first Monday of the month through June. Group meets in members’ homes. Call for details, location. 425-885-4889.

Totem Lake Garden Club: 7 p.m. the third Tuesday of the month. Visitors welcome. Fire Station No. 26, 9930 124th Ave. N.E., Kirkland. 425-822-7275.

• Civil
• Smart
• On-topic
• Free from profanity

We ask that all participants own their words by registering for an account. It's a simple process that will take seconds and helps keep our comments free of trolls, cranks, and drive-by commenters.

As a community site, we ask that the community help by using the "Flag" button on each comment if they feel the comment has violated the rules. You can also use the up and down arrows on each comment to voice your opinion about that particular comment.

Want to tell us something but you don't want it to be public? Talk to us privately.